Car-fender



(No Model.) 2 ShetsSheet 1.

0-. S. MEYERS. GAR FENDER.

Patented July 13, 1897.

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(No Model.) 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2. G. S. MEYERS.

CAR FENDER No. 586,449. Patented July 13,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. MEYERS, OF SHARPSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,449, dated July 13, 1897.

Application filed January 27, 1897. Serial No. 620,894. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. MEYERS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Sharpsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Fenders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in car-fenders, and has for its object to provide a fender designed principally for use on street-cars and the like that will fold in such a manner when it strikes an object as to prevent the object from falling from the fender and coming in contact with the wheels, as is often the case.

The invention has for its further object to provide means whereby this action in the fender is accomplished by the object coming in contact with the fender or rather through the object being lifted onto the fender; furthermore, to construct a fender that will be extremely simple in its construction, strong, durable, effectual in its operation, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

"With the above and other objects in view the invention finally consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein like letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved fender, showing same in position on the car and in the lowered position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the fender in the folded position. Fig. 4 is a side view of the holdingratchet, showing a portion of the can Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the block carrying the spring. Fig. 6 is a side view of one of the supporting rods or braces. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the ratchet side brace. Fig. 8 is a front plan view of the top supporting-bar. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the connecting-beam.

Referring now to the drawings by reference-letters, a indicates the side braces of the lower fender, which are curved upwardly at their rear ends and pivotally connected to the curved vertical braces or supports 1), said supports 1) 6 being in turn pivot-ally connected at their upper ends to lugs c c, secured on the guides cl cl, and extending from said guides is a cross-brace 6, extending across the front of the car and carrying pawl f to engage the ratchet g, pivotally supported in lugs h h, attached to the front of the car and provided with a downwardly-extending arm is, pivoted to a crank or beam Z, which is in turn pivotally supported in lugs m m, secured to the front of the car.

Pivotally connected to the side braces a a is an elbow-lever n, to the rear end of which is pivotally connected a vertical brace 0, attached at its upper end to the guide cl. Said elbow-lever is fulcrurned to the angle-brace 19, provided in the Vertical portion thereof with a slot q and on one of its engaging faces guides d d, attached to said blocks a, and to the upper ends of the angle-brace p is a brace c, pivotally secured to the block a and at its lower end to the rack-harp. The fender is provided with a suitable netting formed in three sections D E F, attached to the braces a and Z), as is fully shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Describing the action of the fender briefly, the same is as follows: we will assume that the car is moving in the position shown in Figs. 1 5

and 2, and that a person or object is struck by the front portion of the fender, which engages the person or object and carries same up onto the netting,where it strikes the beam or elbow lever Z, and through this medium releases the ratchet g from its engagement with the bar f, thus through the action of the spring b forcing down the rear portion of the fender slightly and which depresses the brace o and one arm A rodo 8o of the beam 11, elevating the other arm, which is pivotally connected to the side braces a, bringing the front portion of the fender to the posit-ion shown in Fig. 3, which prevents the object from rolling 01f the fender. To return the fender to its normal position, the same is set by hand by pulling the forward portion of the fender down into the former position, or, in other words, to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In case it is desired toelevate the fender sufficiently to permit of the coupling of two cars together the cranks u u are turned, which causes the spur-gears s s to engage in the racks r 7' and thus elevate the slotted anglebraces, and through this medium and the braces c to elevate the fender sufficiently to permit the coupling to be made.

By means of the ratchet in the brace 19 th fender may be set at any desired height from the track, and in order for the motorman to release the rack g from its engagement with the plate f I have provided near the upper end of this rack a pin 9, passing through the front of theoar and encircled by a spring h. By simply pulling on this pin the motorman brings the rack g out of engagement with the plate, and the fender may then be elevated or lowered, as may be desired. This rack 9 may also be operated by downwardly-extending arms 70 76 (shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings) and adapted to be engaged by the object or person and release the rack g in the same manner as heretofore described for the beam Z, as by reason of the upper netting being attached at its upper end to a cross-rod Z, which engages the arms is. k, and in case the object should fail to engage the beam or crank Z the depressing of this netting by reason of the object coming in contact with the 40 same would operate these arms and release the rack from its engagement with barf, and thus allow the same operation as hereinbefore stated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-fender, the side braces a, carryinga suitable netting, curved vertical braces b, pivotally attached to said side braces a, an

elbow-lever n, pivotally connected theretoand fulcrumed to the angle-braces 19, single brace 0, connected to said elbow-levers, a crossbrace Z, extending above the fender and bearing against the spring I), a rack g pivotally supported on the front of the car, said rack engaging a pawl f, carried by the cross-brace, and means for elevating the front portion of the fender when the object comes in contact therewith, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a car-fender composed of different sections, a suitable covering for each section, vertical curved braces, slotted side rods 19, to which said elbow-levers are pivoted, a crossbrace carrying a bar and downwardly-extending arms, sliding blocks carried by vertical rods and connecting said blocks with said slotted side rods, said slotted rods having a rack therein to engage a spur-gear carried by 70 a rod extending transversely of the car, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. MEYERS.

Witnesses:

H. O. EVERT, GEo. B. PARKER. 

